


When Did Things Change?

by inahandbasket



Category: Torchwood
Genre: M/M, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:28:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24825328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inahandbasket/pseuds/inahandbasket
Summary: Different moments that change Ianto's life to something he didn't even know he wanted.  Each chapter is a defining moment in Ianto's life regarding family and Jack.
Relationships: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Comments: 6
Kudos: 60





	1. Jack tells a secret

Jack kissed Ianto fiercely, pushing him against the desk with his hands up on his face. Ianto reached down and started unfastening Jack's belt, his braces already hanging down. He finished unzipping and pushed down both trousers and pants to Jack's thighs. He gripped Jack's bare hips and spun them both around so that he had Jack up against the desk. He pushed his own hard cock, still encased in his trousers, against Jack's exposed one. Jack groaned into Ianto's mouth. Jack then reached down to Ianto's trousers and started unfastening and unzipping.

“Please, Ianto, I need you inside me now.” Jack began sucking on Ianto's neck as he released Ianto's erection from its cloth confines. As soon as it sprang free, Jack grasped Ianto's cock against his own and pumped his fist around them both.

Ianto threw his head back with a deep moan. “Oh, God, Jack!”

Jack used his other hand to reach over to the desk drawer, pulled it open, and fumbled around. He finally came out with lube and a condom and thrust them at Ianto. Ianto took them and Jack toed off his shoes and started pushing his trousers and pants further down his legs. Jack stepped out of them and kicked them to the side, looking back up at Ianto, but then hesitated.

“Ianto, what is it?”

“What do you mean?”

“You have that look like you want to tell me something.”

“No, I'm fine.” Ianto put his hand behind Jack's neck and pulled him close again. They kissed passionately again. Jack scooted up on the desk and together Jack laid back while Ianto pushed forward on top of him. Suddenly, Ianto pulled back. “Well, there is something.”

“I knew it. What is it?”

“Well, it's a question, really.” Ianto stood up between Jack's legs, looking down at Jack, exposed and ready, his weeping cock jutting into the air.

“Get on with it, Ianto, or let's get on with it,” Jack growled.

“I was just wondering if we could go without this.” Ianto held up the condom that Jack had given him. “I know I don't have anything because Owen is constantly testing us for everything from earth and otherwise. Can you even get a disease? Is this even necessary?”

Jack got serious and pushed up a bit from the desk. “No, I don't have any disease. And I'm not worried about getting anything from you, but it's not that simple.”

“Oh. I'm not seeing anyone else, but we never agreed. If you're with other people, I understand. I didn't mean to imply that you needed to commit.” Ianto started to back away, but Jack reached out and grabbed his hand.

“Wait, Ianto.” Jack sat up and pulled Ianto back to him. Jack put his hand to Ianto's cheek and brought his face up to look into his eyes. “Ianto, I'm not sleeping with anyone else. I haven't in a long while. That's not what I'm saying.”

“Oh. Then, why?”

“Ianto, there's something I should tell you about me.”

“If this is going to be serious, I'd rather have my pants on.” Jack let Ianto bend down to pull his pants and trousers up, but didn't make a move to put his own on.

“I hope we'll keep getting naked when I tell you this, but I'll understand if you don't want to.”

Ianto stood in front of Jack, keeping his belt undone. “What is it, Jack?”

“This is going to be hard to believe. You know that I'm from the 51st century, right?” Ianto nodded and Jack took his hands again. “Well, by that time, there have been genetic modifications. Men have the ability to bear children. All men are born with this ability due to genetic engineering.”

Ianto's eyes got wide, but his face remained impassive. “You're saying that in your time, men can have children. They can get pregnant?”

“Yes. I can get pregnant. That's why I use condoms. In the 51st century, there's birth control for men, and we all have easy access to it, but I don't have it here. I don't even know what was in it to try to synthesize it now. All I know is that it was different than the birth control women took.”

“So this whole time, we've been using condoms because you didn't want to tell me that you could get pregnant.”

“Well, yes. It can freak people out and everyone here uses condoms anyway. It was a lot harder in the nineteenth century when you couldn't just drop by the store to pick up a jumbo box of prophylactics. But really only you would have to use one, which is unfair to you, really.” Jack chuckled and smiled a little at Ianto who smiled himself. “You're taking this a lot better than I thought you would.”

“Well, I guess I'm a little relieved actually. I thought you were sleeping with other people and trying to protect me from anything you might be carrying from one night stands. Now that I know the big secret, it doesn't sound so bad, except for the part where there's no way I can go without a condom.” Ianto laughed at the last sentence. “I never thought that this would be an issue in a relationship with another man.”

“Even more so since I can't take a pill either. Maybe I can get Owen to work on it. It would be an interesting project for him, although that means I'd have to tell him about me, and he'll probably want to do experiments on me.”

“It's okay Jack, it's not that big a deal for me to use condoms, really. It's normal, in fact.”

“I just wish I could give this to you. I would love to feel you come inside me.” At this Jack moved Ianto up against him again. His still naked cock, now only half hard, exposed against his thigh.

“How about you do me instead tonight. Then I can feel you inside me.” Ianto kissed Jack and leaned into him once more.

“That would be amazing. Let me do as much as I can for you since you can't do what you really want.” Jack unbuttoned and unzipped Ianto's trousers again. He pushed Ianto back a little so that he could get down on his knees and pulled down Ianto's trousers and pants. He then grabbed Ianto's cock and stroked his fist up and down, getting him hard again. He licked the head and lapped up the pre-come. He sucked at the tip and ran his tongue along the vein. Jack cupped Ianto's balls and gently manipulated them. With his other hand, he went further back and rubbed against Ianto's perineum.

“Guuhh.” Ianto's knees wobbled and he put his hands on Jack's head, holding himself up. “Oh God, Jack.” Jack looked up at Ianto through his lashes while sucking deep. “Jack, you have to stop, or I'm gonna come, and I want to come with you inside me.”

Jack pulled off Ianto's cock, but kept stroking him. “I want you to come both ways. Don't worry, I'll get you there. Come for me, come in my mouth.” Jack went back down on Ianto's cock and swallowed him down to the root. Ianto uncontrollably thrust a little into Jack's mouth and curled his fingers into his hair.

Jack grasped Ianto's hip with one hand and gripped hard enough to bruise. He bobbed his head quickly while hollowing his cheeks and sucking hard. With his other hand he moved a finger back along the cleft at Ianto's arse until he reached the puckered hole. He gently circled it with his finger and pushed inside. Ianto groaned and thrust into Jack's mouth and then pushed back on the finger. With a hand on his hip, Jack encouraged Ianto to thrust faster and crooked the finger in his arse to hit Ianto's prostate. Ianto lost his rhythm and thrust as fast as he could until he threw his head back and let loose a growling yell, coming deep down Jack's throat. Jack swallowed and pulled off, licking up any escaped come. Ianto's knees were weak and he was having trouble standing up.

Jack stood up and kissed Ianto hard. “Now it's my turn.” Jack then spun the still-weak Ianto against the desk and lifted him on top of it. He spread Ianto's legs wide and pushed his knees up, exposing his hole. Jack then put some lube on his fingers and pushed two inside Ianto. Ianto groaned and pushed back against Jack's fingers.

“Jack, give me more.” Jack obliged by pushing in a third finger and thrusting them as deep as he could. He crooked them against Ianto's prostate and bent down to kiss Ianto's groaning mouth. Jack thrust a few more times and then removed his fingers and spread lube on his swollen cock. Lining himself up, Jack pressed inside Ianto, slowly and deliberately.

Ianto pushed back onto Jack, trying to speed things up. “More Jack, come on and fuck me.” With that, Jack thrust all in and got a satisfying moan from Ianto. Ianto thrust back and soon reached a fast and hard rhythm. The desk started to budge with each push. “God, Jack, I can feel you so much.”

“Oh, I'm not going to last, Ianto. You're so hot around me. It's too intense.”

“Just get me there, Jack.” Jack wrapped his hands around Ianto's cock and pumped him in time to the rapid thrusts. Ianto could feel Jack's hand around him and his cock hitting his prostate and then Jack sucked on his neck and it was all over. Ianto threw his head back and moaned in ecstasy as his come hit his stomach.

Jack was overwhelmed by the force of Ianto grasping around him and emptied himself inside of Ianto while yelling his name. Jack collapsed on top of him and tried to catch his breath while his dick slowly slipped out. Ianto relaxed his knees down a little.

“I can feel your come inside me, Jack. It's amazing, and a little odd.”

“Yeah, it'll feel even weirder when it leaks out. We should take a shower.”

Jack helped Ianto down from the desk and started to walk away. Ianto reached out and held his arm, stopping him. Jack turned back around.

“What is it, Ianto?”

“I was just wondering. About the pregnancy thing.”

Jack gave Ianto his full attention now. “What do you want to know? You can ask me anything.”

“Well, I was just wondering, if you've ever actually had a child before.”

Jack held Ianto's hands in his. “Yes. I've had children, but only once have I borne a child.”

“I think I'll concentrate on the one for now and get back to the others some other time. Um, when did you bear a child? Was it here on earth?”

“No. I was mortal, and it was the 51st century. I was young and in love. She died, the baby, she died, only two months old.” Jack looked down at their clasped hands, and Ianto gently squeezed Jack's hands.

“I'm sorry, Jack. I didn't mean to bring up something so painful.”

Jack raised his eyes to look into Ianto's. “It was a long time ago. Honestly, the worst thing now is how little of her I remember. Her face fades from my memory.”

“I'm so sorry.”

“Ianto, I want you to feel comfortable asking me these kinds of questions. You have every right to ask me, and if it's something that I can't answer, than I won't answer. But I won't be angry that you asked.”

“I guess I don't feel like I have the right to ask you personal questions.”

“You do, Ianto. We're together, with no one else. Does that not make you my boyfriend?”

Ianto looked more surprised at this statement than the previous revelation. “Am I?”

“Would you like to be?”

Ianto hesitated. “Yes, I think I would. Does it change anything?”

“Well, it means that you have the right to ask me personal questions and I can do the same. Also, we can think about a future. Maybe even make plans for more than a day in advance. Maybe even go on holiday together.”

Ianto smiled at Jack and looked down again as he blushed. “You want to think of a future with me?”

Jack put a finger under Ianto's chin and pushed his head up until they made eye contact. “I'm not ready to pick out china patterns, but yes, I'd like to make some near-future plans, and I'd like to call you boyfriend.”

“I'd like that, too.” Ianto smiled hesitantly. “But right now, I'd like to shower. You're right about the weird feeling. I need to clean up.”

“I'll help you with that,” said Jack with a lecherous smile.


	2. Jack's experiment is over

Owen pushed down on the plunger and the meds burned as they entered Jack's blood stream.

“Ow! Does it have to hurt so much?”

“Calm down. I've seen you get your throat ripped out by a weevil and barely make a sound.”

“That should tell you how much this stuff stings.”

Owen ignored Jack's moaning and prepped another syringe. “We're not done yet. You need this one as well. They'll work together, and it should make you temporarily infertile. I'll have to give you the injections every couple months.” Owen completed the injection while Jack hissed at the sting. “There, that should keep you from having a baby. I can't think of anything scarier than you spawning.”

Jack didn't want to disabuse Owen of his belief that he was childless. “This better work. I don't want all that experimentation to be for nothing.”

“Oh shut it, you big baby. It was just a little blood work and imaging on the scanner. Now wait to go bare back with the tea boy for at least a month. It will take a while to become effective.”

“Are you done now?”

“Yeah, I'm done. You can go back to shagging now.”

Jack left the autopsy bay and quickly went down to the archives to find Ianto.

Ianto was bent over paperwork at the small desk in the archives. He was busy scribbling away and signing some documents. Jack lent against the door frame.

“You know, seeing you like that really turns on my secretary kink.”

Ianto didn't hesitate in his paperwork. “I really don't think I have to do anything to turn on any of your kinks. They are always there ready to go.”

Jack chuckled and pushed himself off the door frame. “That's probably true.” Jack stalked across the room towards Ianto. “But I think you take advantage of them often enough.”

Ianto smiled indulgently. “Oh yeah. I do that.” He finally pushed his paperwork to the side and looked at Jack, who was by now almost upon him. Jack moved around the desk to perch on the side beside Ianto. “Something I can do for you, sir?”

“No, there's something I can do for you though.”

“Really? And what would that be?” Ianto rolled himself in his chair to settle in front of Jack's knees, resting his hands there.

“I've just come from seeing Owen. He gets a little overexcited by jabbing me with needles.”

“And is this the experiment you two have been working on?” Ianto asks with no small amount of smirk.

“Yes, it is. It's the end of the experiment in fact. Now we just have to test the results.”

“That sounds promising.” Ianto says, but the smirk is gone.

“You don't look as excited as I thought you would.”

“How sure are you that he got it right?” Ianto bites his bottom lip.

“He's an excellent doctor,” Jack says with plenty of bravado. “He's also been working on it for nearly seven months now. If he's sure, than I'm sure. Although, he did warn me to wait at least a month for the drug to take effect.”

“I see.” Ianto dropped his hands from Jack's knees.

“But then,” Jack put his hands on Ianto's shoulders and lowered himself down onto Ianto's lap, straddling his hips. “Then, I'll be able to feel you and you can claim me properly.” Jack kissed Ianto as Ianto's hands went around Jack's waist.

Ianto pulled back from the kiss. “And after a month you feel certain that it won't be a danger.”

“It should work like a charm.”

“And what about you? Are there any side effects? Does it affect your long term fertility?”

“No, and no. Why, do you want me to be fertile later?”

“Maybe. Much, much later,” Ianto adds hastily.

Jack smiled at Ianto. “Really? Would you think of us having kids some day?”

Ianto squirmed as much as he could, trapped under Jack. “In the far future in the unlikely event that we're settled and boring.”

“Settled and boring? Why does that have to be a part of it?” Jack asked.

“Well, we can't bring a kid into the life we live now. Torchwood is not the place to be a parent.”

“But maybe, in the far future under different circumstances?”

“I guess I've always assumed I would be a father one day. Is it something you would think of doing?”

“With you I would. I'd want to very much with you. You'd be a wonderful father.” Jack kissed Ianto. “But you're right about Torchwood. It's no place to be a parent, and I'm not ready to leave it just yet.”

“Good to know we're on the same page then. What do you say we use up our supply of condoms?”

Jack pressed himself against Ianto and kissed him passionately for a minute before pulling away. “That sounds like the best idea.”


	3. Jack's not feeling so well

Ianto woke and knew something was wrong. His brain started to wake up, and he realized that it was a sound that woke him. It sounded like throwing up coming from the bathroom. Jack wasn't in the bed, so Ianto rushed to the bathroom to find Jack hugging the toilet bowl.

“Jack, what's wrong?!”

Jack gave a last wretch and relaxed away from the toilet, sitting on the bathroom floor. His face was pale, and he looked wasted. “I'm just a little sick Ianto, nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah, you look the picture of health.” Ianto went up to sit next to Jack and put his arms around him, gently rubbing his back. Jack leaned into Ianto. “What's going on? You don't get sick.”

“Well, maybe now I do.”

“Jack, this could be serious. It could be something alien, or there could be something wrong with your immortality. It could be a sign that it's run out.”

Jack perked up at this last one and looked at Ianto hopefully. “Like maybe I could die someday?”

“Don't look so excited. I would be very put out if you were to die on me.”

“But maybe one day.”

“Are you feeling better now? Do you think you can come back to bed?” Ianto ignored Jack's last statement.

Jack took a moment and debated the pros and cons of getting off the bathroom floor. “I think so.”

“Okay, come back to bed and then I want you to see Owen in the morning. This could be some deadly alien disease that only shows up like the flu for you.”

“Ianto, I shouldn't be around you. I could infect you with something horrible. If I react like this, you could die.”

Ianto tugged Jack into a standing position. “If you were going to infect me with something, it would have happened earlier tonight.”

“I don't think I want to risk it. I should sleep on the sofa,” Jack paused and listed to one side, “preferably with a bin next to me.”

“Jack, I don't want you to be alone with this.”

“I insist. I wouldn't be able to bear it if I killed you. Stop fighting me on this.”

“Jack, if it's that serious, we should take you to the hub immediately and call Owen in.”

“No, I'll likely just die and come back. It's only serious for everyone else.”

Ianto sighed. “Fine, but I'm walking you to the sofa. You don't seem to be able to stand on your own.”

Ianto slowly walked Jack over to the sofa and got him laying down. Then he brought sheets and a plastic lined bin followed by a glass of water. By the time he brought the water, Jack was asleep. Ianto bent down and kissed Jack on the forehead. “Good night, Jack.”

In the morning, Ianto woke Jack up and they went into the hub. Jack was feeling better, but not completely alright. He was able to walk on his own, though. “I texted Owen to get in early. He should be waiting for us when we arrive,” Ianto told Jack. 

“Yeah, thanks.” Jack seemed distracted. He was strangely silent on the drive in to work and stared out the window.

“Are you still feeling ill?” Jack didn't reply. “Jack?”

Jack started and turned towards Ianto. “What?”

“Are you still feeling ill?”

“No, I feel much better.”

“You should still see Owen and get him to check you over.”

“I agree completely.” Jack went back to staring out the window.

Once they both entered through the cog door, Jack yelled out, “Owen!”

“What?!” Owen called from the autopsy bay.

“You're a crap doctor!” Jack jogged down the stairs, glaring at Owen who was stuffing a doughnut in his mouth.

“Oi!” Crumbs spilled out as Owen yelled back with a full mouth. He quickly swallowed and dropped the rest of the doughnut on his desk. “I'm a terrific doctor.” Jack didn't usually criticize Owen's medical abilities, in fact, it was the only thing Jack ever complimented him on. Ianto followed Jack down the stairs and watched Jack stare down the smaller man. “What's got your panties in a twist this morning?”

“I threw up several times last night.”

“It happens to the best of us, mate. Don't drink so much next time.”

“No, Owen.” Jack stepped even closer to Owen. “You need to do a scan.” With that, Jack pulled out the hand interface for the full body scanner.

“Fine. I'll just plug it in.” Owen scrabbled around on the floor and struggled to plug the scanner into the wall. Jack stared at his arse wiggling.

Ianto touched Jack's arm. “Jack, why are you yelling at him? He didn't get you sick.”

“No? I'm betting you that this is exactly his fault.”

“Jack, do you know something? What is it you're not telling me?”

“We'll see as soon as Owen can find the socket. Owen!”

“Keep your pants on! I've got it.” Owen extracted himself out from behind the collected machinery against the wall and stood up, wiping off his hands. “Just place your hand here, and we'll see inside you.”

Jack smirked as he stretches his hand out. “Always knew you wanted inside me.”

“Stop being gross, and put your hand down.”

Jack slapped his hand on the scanner and a full body image popped up on the wall. Ianto watched as the representation of the inner workings of Jack moved and pulsed. There was so much going on that he didn't know what was unusual.

Jack tensed up. “Goddammit, Owen! This is all your fault!”

Ianto was too curious. “What is it? What's there?”

“Holy shit!” Owen moved closer to the image on the wall. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Yes, Owen,” said Jack testily. “I'm pregnant, and you swore your birth control would work.”

Ianto felt light headed. “Pregnant?” He then examined the image of Jack's abdomen and found a bit that might be it. “Where? Are you sure? You don't know for sure.”

“I know for sure,” said Jack in response to Ianto, but he kept looking at Owen.

Ianto's vision started to go black, and he felt wobbly. He bent over and leaned his hands on his knees.

Owen rushed over to Ianto. “Hey, watch yourself there. Sit down and relax.” Owen pulled a chair over and deposited Ianto on it. “Put your head down on your knees and pace your breathing.” Owen gently pushed Ianto's head down.

Jack finally realized that Ianto was freaking out and went over to him. Jack put his arm around Ianto's shoulders and pulled him against his chest. “Easy there. Just calm down and breathe.” Jack rubbed Ianto's back soothingly.

Ianto's vision started to clear and he could smell Jack's shirt and feel his hand in circles on his back. “Pregnant. You can't be pregnant. We decided not to have kids yet.”

“I know, but this sort of thing happens to people. This is normal.”

“Normal! A man getting pregnant is not normal!”

Hurt by this comment, Jack pulled back from Ianto, placing his hands on his hips. “It's normal where I come from.”

Ianto immediately regretted his thoughtless outburst. “I'm sorry, Jack. You know I didn't mean it. I'm just shocked. I thought Owen had made this impossible and safe.” Jack wasn't mollified. Ianto knew that Jack was sensitive about being made to feel different or wrong. “Shit, I'm sorry, Jack. It should be you freaking out, not me. We knew the risks and took them anyway. You're not weird!” Ianto grabbed Jack around the waist and pulled him close again, the chair wheeling him in, and tucked his face back into Jack's chest. “I'm sorry I'm freaking out, and I'm sorry I'm such a prat.”

Owen was looking rather uncomfortable at this point. “I'm going to get some coffee. I'll let you two work out your issues.” He jogged up the steps, ready to get out of the way.

Jack put his arms back around Ianto. “It's okay, Ianto. I understand. We're both freaking out.”

“You don't look like it.” Ianto's voice was muffled against Jack's shirt.

“I'm just expressing it differently. We have to discuss this, though. What are we going to do about this?”

“What do you mean? Are you talking about...do you want to get rid of it?” Ianto's voice had gotten quiet and he wouldn't look up at Jack's face.

“No. I want to keep it. What do you want to do?”

Ianto finally looked up at Jack. “I wouldn't have chosen to have a baby right now, but it looks like that's what's happening. I guess 'sometime in the future' just became the present. It's hard not to be sad that my life, the way I live it now, could be over.”

“What do you mean, over? Having a baby doesn't mean that your life is over.”

“I'll have to change everything about my life, Jack. We talked about how Torchwood isn't the place to have a baby. I'll have to quit and be at home with the baby. Will I even have my memories, or will I not even know where you work?”

“Ianto, I'm not going to make you quit if you don't want to. I can stay at home or we can get a live-in nanny. There are lots of options. And even if you do stay at home, you definitely would have all your memories.”

“Jack,” Ianto frowned at Jack, “of course it would be me staying at home. We can't have a nanny living at our house. Security would be a nightmare, and they would definitely find out about Torchwood. Additionally, it's only logical that it would be me instead of you because, one,” Ianto started to count out on his fingers, “you can't die and I can and this is a very dangerous job. Two, you've given lifetimes to Torchwood and it's yours now. You are synonymous with Torchwood, and I wouldn't take that away from you. Three, you are the leader, and the others wouldn't want you to leave and follow someone else.”

“Ianto,” Jack interrupted, pushing Ianto's fingers down. “It's not about any of that. If we have this baby and you want to keep working, we'll make that happen.”

Ianto pursed his lips together defiantly and clearly wanted to argue some more, but he keeps it inside.

“Look,” Jack continues when Ianto stays silent. “We can talk about that later. For now, are we agreed that we're going to take this step and have a baby? Are you sure?”

“Yes, I do want this, I just thought it would be in ten years or something. But, life has other plans for us, so it's happening now.”

“Okay,” Jack says, and he pulls Ianto into a hug, one that feels desperate. “Because I need you there to help me. I really am freaking out, too.”

“Because of the baby you had before?” Ianto asks.

“What if it happens again? What if I can't make a baby right?”

“Jack, I'll be here for you, no matter what. You're right, we can deal with the logistical stuff as it comes up. Right now, we just have to make the important decisions. We're going to try to have this baby and I'll be here to support you. And you're also right that this is normal. Before you, I'd always thought I'd have a girlfriend and this was always a possibility. If anything, you've given me what I wanted but thought was impossible. We'll be okay, right?”

Jack sniffs a little. “Yeah, we'll be okay.”

“However,” Ianto starts and Jack pulls back from the hug to give him a questioning look, nervous about what Ianto is going to say next.

“What is it, Ianto?”

“I am going to insist on one thing.”

“I can't agree to anything before I hear what it is. What condition can you possibly expect to put on this?”

“I insist on a Welsh name. My child will be Welsh through and through.”

Jack grins fully and laughs heartily. He pulls Ianto in again for a hug, but this one is more joyous. “Of course. Welsh name it is.”


	4. Ianto tells his sister and there's dinner

Jack hates this. He feels fat, he always has to pee, his feet and legs hurt all the time from being swollen, and he's constantly worried that he's going to miscarry even though he's eight months along. He also hasn't seen his cock properly in months. He's laying on his back staring at the ceiling, which is all he ever seems to do these days.

He hears the door open and is so relieved to have Ianto home to talk to. “Ianto!” he calls out so that he'll come in the bedroom. Ianto comes in right away.

“Jack, how are you feeling?” Ianto always asks this, and Jack is always feeling like crap, but he tries not to let Ianto know how crappy he feels.

“Like usual,” he answers.

“Oh, no. What can I do?” Ianto immediately sees through Jack's answer and knows that he must be feeling bad. He sits on the bed before Jack even answers and pulls Jack's feet onto his lap and starts rubbing them.

Jack moans in relief. “That's so good.”

Ianto laughs. “You used to only make that sound when I was rubbing something else.”

“Can you do that later?” Jack asks, only half joking.

“Mmmm, that sounds delightful,” Ianto says huskily. “How's our little one doing? Has she been keeping you from napping?”

Jack's supposed to be sleeping while on bed rest. With all the swelling, Owen has Jack on strict bed rest, so Ianto is the one going to work and doing all the exciting things that Jack longs to do. At least he knows it's only temporary, and he'll be back at work in a couple months. Still, Jack worries about Ianto fighting aliens while he's not there to jump in the way of bullets and claws.

“She's making me need to get up and pee every half hour, so not much sleep is happening. I'm bored out of my mind!”

“You're not fooling me,” says Ianto, “I know that you have a comm unit in here and are listening to us.”

He's not wrong, but Jack can't stand not knowing what's going on. He also knows that the team uses the comms as little as possible because he's listening in. “I have to know that you're alright.” Jack is hesitant to let Ianto know how much he's scared of Ianto getting injured or killed right now. Being pregnant has made it even worse.

“I know,” Ianto says, and moves to the other foot. “By the way, don't forget that my sister and her husband are coming over tonight.”

Jack groans, “That's tonight?”

“Yes, they want to see you before they'll believe that you're actually pregnant.”

Ianto had really wanted his sister to know that the baby would be biologically his and Jack's, so he had to tell her as close to the truth as possible. He went over one day, and eventually, he got up the nerve to tell her. Of course, first he had to tell her he was dating Jack, so it was one shock after another.

“No, I don't want to go out with your friend's sister, even though I'm sure she's lovely. It's just that I'm already seeing someone, and it's quite serious actually,” Ianto said to Rhiannon in her kitchen.

“What? When did this happen? Why haven't you told me?”

“Well, it's been about a year that we've been more serious.”

“A year! And all this time you couldn't tell your sister? Well you've made a fool out of me always trying to set you up. Why would you do that, to have a laugh?” Ianto rolled his eyes at her making it all about herself as usual.

“No,” Ianto sighed and tried to look her in the eye. “There's a very good reason I haven't told you. You see, it's a man. I'm dating a man, and I didn't know how to tell you.”

He just looked at her as a myriad of emotions played out on her face. First disbelief, like he's making fun of her, then shock, then she seemed to sigh and smile. “Ohh! I guess I see why you might be hesitant to say something, but you know, you could have.”

“I know, I just didn't know how.”

“Well, that way worked. Why not just the way you did?”

“Look, Rhiannon, I'm telling you now because I kind of have to.”

“Have to? What are you talking about?”

“Rhiannon, you've met him before. It's Jack, my boss, that you've met at my place a few times.” His sister always seemed to show up while Jack was around, which wasn't unlikely since Jack had pretty much moved into his flat anyway. The fact that she hadn't figured out that they were dating just showed how shockingly oblivious she was.

“Your boss? The gorgeous American that looks like a film star?”

Ianto sighed. “Don't ever let him hear you say that. His ego is already big enough for all of Wales.”

“Well, he's a fit one. All my friends will be quite jealous of you with him. Why does that make you have to tell me? I don't get it.”

“That's not what I have to tell you. This next part has to be just between us. It's something that we're very private about, and it can't be getting out, okay?”

“Alright, what is it.”

Ianto took a deep breath. Jack and he had practiced what to say to her to explain things, and they decided on as much of the truth as possible. “The reason I have to tell you is because we're having a baby.”

“A baby!” Rhiannon squealed. “You're so serious that you decided to have a baby and you hadn't even told me! Why would you want to keep a baby secret?”

“The baby's not the secret. I haven't gotten to that yet. See, we didn't actually decide to have a baby, it was an accident.”

“What the hell does that mean? You just told me he was a man, so how could you possibly be having an accidental baby? Did one of you cheat?”

“No, that's the secret. He's pregnant. He's carrying the baby. He's intersex, and that's the secret.”

“What the hell is intersex? Does that mean he's a tranny?”

“Oh my God, no.” Ianto said and rubs his hands over his face. “First of all, that is an offensive word, and second of all, it's for something else. Intersex is when someone is born with some amount of both male and female biological characteristics. In his case, he's completely male in everything, with the addition of a fully functioning female reproductive system.”

“Like a hermaphrodite?”

Ianto sighed. “He doesn't like to be called that, say intersex, but yes, that's the gist.”

“That gorgeous man that I met is also a woman?”

“No, he's the man that you saw. He's just as he was born. He additionally can get pregnant as well as get others pregnant. That's what we don't advertise. He's big enough to show now, so he's pretty sensitive about his looks. People will just assume that he's fat since they wouldn't think that he could be pregnant.”

“I just can't imagine that man pregnant.”

“Look, I'm only telling you our secret, because I want you to know that the baby is both of ours, biologically. Lying and saying that it was through a surrogate or adopted would be too hard when it ends up looking like one or both of us. You're going to be the aunt, so I want you to know, but you can't tell anyone. We're going to tell most people that it was a surrogate.”

“I have to tell Johnny,” Rhiannon insisted. “I can't keep this from him, no way.”

“Come on, you have to.”

“I'll slip up and tell him anyway, it's better not to try lying in the first place. He'll be able to keep the family secret. Once he understands that it's a family thing, he'll be just fine.”

Ianto really didn't want to have to tell Johnny. “Fine, just Johnny. We won't tell the kids until they're old enough to understand.”

“Of course.”

And that was that, except that Rhiannon still had a hard time believing it and wanted to see Jack before he gave birth. Ianto decided to let her and Johnny come over for dinner, and it would give his sister the opportunity to give gifts as well. Apparently she'd been shopping for her soon to be niece ever since he told her. She'd also been wanting to bring over a few hand-me-downs from her own children.

Now that it was time, Ianto was nervous. Especially about Johnny being there with Jack. Right on time, the bell rang, probably meaning that Rhiannon had arrived early and they'd been sitting in the car waiting. Jack was fidgeting with the bottom of his jumper. He was annoyed that he couldn't wear any of his usual clothes and was relegated to a number of jumpers. He was relieved to get to be on his feet for a little while, although Ianto said that he had to sit most of the evening.

Ianto opens the door and can see nothing but a pile of boxes. Apparently Rhiannon and Johnny are behind them, holding them. “Well, help me with these,” comes his sister's voice from behind the boxes.

Ianto takes some off the top and helps them into the flat. As Rhiannon and Johnny put everything down in the lounge, Jack comes out of the bedroom nervously, still tugging at the hem of his jumper. “Hello,” Jack greets them. They both turn to look, and Ianto can see the shock on their faces even though they know what to expect and try to hide it. Rhiannon is better at quickly hiding it and putting on a big smile.

“Jack,” she says warmly. “It's great to see you again, although, I wish I had known before that you were family. I can't believe you two kept this from me!” She practically attacks Jack with a hug. Jack hugs back awkwardly. She pulls back and looks at him. “Now let me get a look at you and my niece.” 

Jack is a little uncomfortable at the attention while he's pregnant, but he bears it.

“Now I can believe it's true! Amazing! May I?” She asks as she holds her hands up, clearly asking to touch his belly. While he normally would not want anyone to touch him except Ianto, she is family to their baby, and she seems to be very welcoming to him, even if he is an anomaly for the people of this time.

He decides he should allow her this. “Of course, she's been kicking a lot lately, so you'll probably be able to feel her do something.”

“Oh, my David was a kicker. He's going to be a footballer, I always said. He never let me sleep through the night even before he was born.”

Jack feels more comfortable with her hands on him once she talks about her own kids. The reminder that she actually does know what he's going through makes him realize that he should probably be using her as a resource. No one at Torchwood, that is all of his friends, have ever been pregnant or even had a partner who was pregnant. Rihannon has been twice, and is in on the secret, and is family. She could be a great help to him.

Ianto is pleased that Johnny doesn't say anything offensive. Apparently, Rhiannon told him what words to avoid. He can't imagine that Jack is in any mood to take any slights. Johnny ends up being unexpectedly pleasant, and Jack gets on much better with him than Ianto ever did. However, by the end of dinner, Ianto is still hoping that they won't linger too long. He clears the plates, but Jack offers them more wine and they seem to settle in their chairs.

“Are you going to keep living here? Isn't there only the one bedroom?” Rhiannon asks.

“We're looking at houses, but we're not going to move until a little after she's born. We're planning on having her sleep in our room in a bassinet for a while anyway, so it wouldn't matter if she had her own bedroom until then,” Ianto says, a little defensively.

“Why did you wait? This is when you should be nesting and getting a nursery ready,” Rhiannon says.

“That's a little difficult for us,” Jack says, putting his hand on Ianto's knee to settle him down. “I'm technically on bed rest now and I really can't go out to look at houses, and Ianto is needed at work, especially since I'm not there right now and they're short handed.”

“That's not going to change after she's born. You're just going to be more busy!” Rhiannon exclaims.

“No, that's actually what he's so busy with right now,” Jack says, now rubbing Ianto's knee. “He's actually heading up the hiring of more people so that we won't be so needed anymore, allowing us to take leave when she's born. Then we'll be able to look at houses and prepare a nursery with both of us off work. And we just didn't get it together to do it beforehand. We were a little preoccupied with our situation at hand.”

“You both get leave?” Rhiannon looks surprised, and possibly envious as Johnny didn't stay home to help her after her kids were born.

Jack and Ianto both smile knowingly and Jack even chuckles, before groaning at the discomfort this causes. “Well,” Ianto says sheepishly, “we kind of get to write the rules. See, Jack's the boss of the whole place, and I do all the admin, so we simply write a new paternity leave policy that we want and sign off on it ourselves. We don't have to get anyone's approval for it.”

Rhiannon's mouth hangs open, completely gob smacked. “You lucky bastard!”

Ianto smiles at Jack, “Yup, I sure am.”

“So, have you picked out a name yet?” Rhiannon asks.

“We're not telling anyone until she's born,” Ianto says.

“We haven't even actually decided yet, anyway,” Jack adds, giving Ianto a knowing look. They still argue about it.

“Well, it better not be one of those modern American names that are nouns or some such nonsense,” Rhiannon says, punctuating her statement by thumping her glass on the table.

“It's going to be Welsh,” Ianto says pointedly.

Rhiannon looks overjoyed. “Oh, that's good then! And you're alright with that?” She asks, looking at Jack.

Jack nods enthusiastically, “I love Welsh names. I've lived here for ages, and it's rubbed off on me a bit.”

Johnny suppresses a snort of laughter that Rhiannon doesn't seem to get. Rhiannon says, “It's very important to Welsh families to continue with traditional names.”

Ianto rolls his eyes and says, “I should have known. You've probably been more upset with Jack not being Welsh than with him being a man!”

Johnny laughs out loud this time, “Spot on, mate! She won't shut up about it. Says you've gone 'American'!”

Rhiannon does not look amused. She smacks Johnny on the arm, and he winces and pulls it back, but continues laughing. “I do not!” she insists.

“Yeah, you do!” Johnny replies enthusiastically. “You go on about how the baby might not have a Welsh accent!”

By this time, Ianto and Jack have joined in on the laughing, and Rhiannon gets pulled into it as well.


	5. It's baby time!

Ianto wakes up abruptly. He's certain he's under attack as he's just been hit. He blindly turns and grabs the arm hitting him, and stops short of throwing a punch.

“Finally! Wake the fuck up, and take me to the doctor!” Jack shouts angrily. Ianto is finally coming to and realizes that it's Jack's arm that he's holding. Fuck, he's in labor!

“Okay, okay! I'll call Owen and get you to the Hub!” Ianto says as he hustles himself out of the bed and hurries around the room. He throws open the wardrobe and grabs the packed duffel bag inside. He rushes back to the bed in full panic mode now to see Jack sitting up and trying to leverage himself up. He looks perfectly calm, unlike Ianto who is all over the place.

As Ianto gets to Jack and grabs his arms to help him up, Jack stops him. “Ianto, just slow down.”

“What?! Slow down?! We have to go now!”

“Ianto,” Jack takes Ianto's face in his hands. “We have time, just take a deep breath or you'll pass out.”

Ianto tries, but only on the third breath can he fill his lungs properly. As he's able to get his breathing under control, Jack strokes his cheek. “Okay, Ianto, are you better now?” Jack smiles at his ridiculous partner.

Ianto smiles back, relieved. “Yes.”

“Good, because I need you to help me now and be your usual self, in control and taking care of everything.”

Ianto takes another deep breath. “I guess it's harder for me to do that when it's you.” Ianto sighs. “But I'm better now.” Ianto helps pull Jack up into a standing position, a difficulty now that he's so big. “Why aren't you freaking out?”

“I guess I'm just relieved that it's finally time. She's a week late, after all.” Jack wobbles over to his clothes. Ianto helps him get dressed, and then they leave, much more calmly, out of the flat. Ianto drives them to the Hub, with Jack calling Owen on the way. They arrive before him, and Ianto helps get Jack settled in the delivery room.

Ianto had spent all his nesting instincts in preparing this room. It was the closest empty room to the main part of the Hub, and it now looks like a professional hospital room, fully stocked with all the equipment Owen and Martha might possibly need, as well as all the comforts he thought Jack would want. Instead of white linens and walls, Ianto made them blue, so that it felt more like a bedroom than a hospital room.

He gets Jack comfortable in the bed, propping him up on the copious amount of pillows. He doesn't pull out the stirrups yet, knowing that they're likely to have hours and the doctors haven't even arrived yet.

Jack starts a grimace as another contraction starts for him and he grips Ianto's hand, hard, very hard. Ianto whimpers. After what feels like forever, but is really less than a minute, Jack relaxes his hand and Ianto extracts it gently. Jack notices. “I'm sorry,” he says.

“Don't be,” Ianto replies, smiling back at him. He sits on the bed next to Jack and puts his arm around his shoulders, pulling Jack into his chest. “You squeeze as much as you want, I can take it.”

They hear the sound of the door alarm going off in the main Hub. “That's got to be Owen. Everything will be okay now,” Ianto says.

Owen runs into the delivery room, a little out of breath, and then stops at the calm people in front of him. “I guess I didn't need to rush,” he says.

Jack grimaces again and tenses up. “Like hell! I need you here!” He then screams through gritted teeth as he twists the sheets in his hands.

“Let me take a look to see how far along you are,” Owen says, and he pops out the stirrups. Owen is really excited to get to be the primary doctor for a male pregnancy, even if he can't publish about it. Martha is on her way, but coming from London, she'll be a while. Jack told as much as he could. Apparently, it's not that different, it's just that the birth canal connects with the anal canal just before the end, so he dilates and everything like a woman would. Jack moves himself down the bed with Ianto rearranging pillows for him, and then lifts his legs into the stirrups. Owen gloves up and checks his dilation. “You've got lots of time. You're not even halfway there, I think.” Owen says. He's only guessing that the dilation will be the same. Jack may have given birth before, but he wasn't knowledgeable about everything that was happening to him.

Jack groans in disappointment. “Scooch back up,” Ianto says, helping Jack pull himself into a more comfortable position. “Let me rub your back,” Ianto says, squeezing his arm behind Jack's lower back. “Right there?” he asks while pushing his knuckles in circles in the lower back.

“To the left, yeah, right there.” Jack says.

“I'll get the ice chips,” Owen says and he leaves them alone.

Ianto just silently rubs Jack's back for a few minutes. Finally Ianto says quietly, “I can't believe she's almost here.”

“Are you kidding? It's been forever that she's been in here!”

Ianto smiles, holding in any laughter, and thankfully, Jack can't see the smile. “I know sweetie, you've been a rock through all this.” He kisses Jack's shoulder. Jack grits his teeth through another contraction. “I just mean that I don't feel quite ready. I don't think I'd ever be ready.”

“Yeah, I don't think I'm ready either,” says Jack. “But I do need her to get out right now!”

Eventually Martha arrives, and just in time. Jack is a sweaty mess by this time and yelling at every contraction, which seems to be all the time in Ianto's opinion. Just as Martha gets in the room, she wants to examine Jack and both her and Owen decide it's time to start pushing. Owen's been monitoring the position of the baby and says that everything looks good without any complications. Ianto stays up by Jack's head, holding his hand while Martha and Owen coach him through it.

Owen pulls her out and she doesn't cry at first, practically stopping Jack's heart. Ianto releases his hand so he can run up and sees Martha coaxing her to start breathing, which she does without really crying.

“She's fine!” Ianto calls out to Jack. “She's beautiful!”

Owen thinks she looks like a weird, red, amphibian, but all newborns do. Martha and Owen cut the umbilical cord, weigh her, and clean her up, wrapping her in a blanket that Ianto had waiting. They put her in Ianto's arms, who brings her over to Jack. Ianto sits on the bed next to Jack so they can both look at her.

“Is she alright? Did you check her out with the scanner? My other daughter had a heart condition, please make sure you scan her?” Jack pleads.

“I'll scan her now, but she's in no immediate danger, Jack,” says Owen. “She's got good coloring and is breathing fine.” Owen squeezes himself between the men to use the portable scanner on the baby. Each time he pulls it away, Jack insists on him scanning something again, just to make sure.

The third time, Owen walks away. “She's fine, Jack. There's nothing wrong with her at all. Heart, lungs, ...spleen, everything is fine.”

Jack seems like he might just believe him this time. His new daughter has bright blue eyes, to be expected with him and Ianto as parents. He thinks they look more like Ianto's eyes. She has a full head of dark hair, and she's all red from delivery.

“Jack,” says Martha, “why don't you get comfortable and rest a bit while Ianto holds her. You need some sleep, okay?”

“I'm not tired,” Jack says while yawning. He doesn't want to sleep in case something goes wrong.

“I'll be here, watching,” Ianto says.

“How about some visitors first?” Owen asks. Tosh and Gwen have been waiting out in the Hub and Owen had just run out to give them the news. Now they want to see the new baby. Jack can hear them outside the door.

“Is it alright if they come in? I should call my sister anyway,” Ianto says.

“Yeah, just for a bit,” Jack says. “Help me get more covered up first.” Ianto gets Jack situated and Owen lets the women in. They rush up, cooing and babbling at the confused baby. The baby starts crying as soon as Gwen tries to pick her up, which Ianto secretly loves. Ianto goes out the door into the hallway to call his sister.

“So, what's her name?” Tosh asks.

Jack looks up, but then hesitates. “Ianto should be in here, too. We should both tell you.”

Ianto, however, is busy telling the same information to Rhiannon. “We're naming her Carys. I know it's kind of obvious, but that's what she represents to us.”

Rhiannon squeals on the other side of the phone. “I love it! Can I come and see her?”

“We're not home yet. She was literally born two minutes ago. Everything went fine though, so we'll probably be home later today.”

“Jack's not staying in hospital for a little while to recover?”

“We're not at a real hospital. I told you, our own doctors are doing this at work in secret. Jack doesn't want anyone knowing about him, including other doctors. The benefit is that he can recover at home and the doctors come to us to make sure he's recovering alright and that Carys is doing fine. She'll be watched over plenty.”

Rhiannon sighs and Ianto can hear the judgment in her voice. Rolling his eyes at her acting like they had a homebirth in a bathtub instead of in a state of the art medical facility, he swallows his retort and waits for her reply.

“So I can come see her later today then?”

“Yes, I'll call when we get home.” Ianto thinks that it will probably be a little after they get home, since he wants to make sure that everyone is settled and Jack has some time alone before she comes over.

After ending the call, Ianto goes back into the room to find everyone looking at him. “What?” he asks.

“What's the baby's name!?” Gwen practically shrieks, again causing the baby to cry. Jack is rocking and shushing her.

“Didn't Jack tell you?”

“I didn't want to do it without you,” Jack says.

“Oh, thank you.” Ianto says as he resumes his place next to Jack and rubs his baby's head.

“Well?” prompts Gwen.

“She's Carys. Carys Megan Harkness-Jones,” he says while looking at his daughter. Gwen and Tosh both squeal, and he swears that Martha does as well. We decided to give her both last names because we couldn't figure out which one otherwise.

“It would have been fine by me to just have it be Jones,” Jack says. “It's not like my last name has any real meaning, not being my real name.”

Ianto think that Jack must be more exhausted than he thought to have said this in front of everybody. Martha looks intrigued with this little bit of information. “But it's your name now. It's the name of the you that I love,” says Ianto.

Really, Jack is quite pleased having his current name attached to this baby. That hasn't happened often in the past. Usually the women don't want his name on their babies. He kind of expected the same thing at first, but Ianto insisted.

“Alright,” Owen says, writing out the birth certificate. “Make sure I spelled all that right.” Ianto looks and nods. He's surprised, but guesses that Owen has dated enough Welsh women by now to have met a Carys or two, and to know how to spell it.

“When can we take her home?” Jack asks.

“When you finish resting. We'll use that time to watch Carys for you to make sure no complications crop up. These first couple hours are important.”

“You said she was okay,” Jack says, suddenly turning worried again.

“And she is,” Owen placates. “We're just going to watch her for a few hours before letting you all go home. Okay?”

“Okay,” Jack says.


	6. A little pause

Ianto wakes up to the crying, but as he turns over, he sees that Jack is already up and at the bassinet. He always does that somehow. Jack brings Carys back into the bed with them and gets her settled. Jack was determined not to tell anyone who wasn't his doctor or Ianto that he would be able to breast feed. He doesn't look any different really, maybe slightly more swollen, and he really felt like other people would look at him differently if they knew. But Ianto finds it fascinating. He watches and leans into Jack's shoulder as he gets Carys to latch on.

“Stop staring,” Jack says quietly.

“I don't think of you as any less of a man, I just...like watching,” Ianto says.

“You never struck me as a voyeur before,” Jack says, trying to joke his way out of awkwardness.

“Seriously,” Ianto says, his sleepiness loosening his tongue. “I find it sexy. That's probably too weird a kink even for you.” Ianto starts to roll away from Jack, embarrassed at his admission.

“No, wait,” Jack says, but unable to physically stop him. “Do you really find me sexy like this?”

“Don't tease, please,” Ianto replies, his face pushed into his pillow.

“I'm not. I guess I just thought you would be put off by anything that reminds you of how different I am to other men, to you.”

Ianto looks back at him. “No, I'm not even attracted to other men, just you. Your differences are what make you so...entrancing.”

“Entrancing?” Jack asks with a quirk of a smile.

“Yeah, stop making fun of me,” Ianto says, turning away again.

“I'm not,” Jack says while disentangling one arm from their daughter so reach out to him. “Really, please look at me.” Jack manages to pull on Ianto's arm until he turns back over and sits up properly. “I thought you were weirded out by all this.”

“Is this because of what I said when we found out you were pregnant, because I thought you accepted my apology and understood that I was just shocked and didn't mean it.”

It's now Jack that can't look Ianto in the eye. “First reactions are usually the truest,” he mumbles. “I know you didn't mean to hurt me and were shocked, but that doesn't mean that you don't actually think that.”

“No!” Ianto exclaims, and now he reaches forward to take Jack's arm. “I really didn't think that! It was an expression of shock and denial, not my feelings! Haven't you figured that out with all the back rubs and ice cream runs and my rubbing that stretchmark cream all over your belly? I don't want you to hide any part of you! I think it's great that you can feed our baby and that you were able to give me a baby that's both of ours. And she is ours, just yours and mine, nobody else's.”

Jack wipes a stray tear off his cheek. “Sorry, I'm still full of hormones,” he says in explanation.

Ianto kisses that cheek. “I think you're sexy, no matter what. Please don't hide from me.”

“Okay,” Jack says. “Then I guess it's okay if you watch sometimes.”


	7. Leave is over

“Damn it!” Jack yells from the back garden. Ianto can hear it clear across to the front. He's going to wake Carys from her nap at this rate. Ianto rushes around the house to see Jack sucking on a new wound on his hand while sat on the grass with tools spread around him. The playhouse is still a pile of lumber.

“What happened now?” Ianto asks, somehow sighing while talking.

“These things are bloody impossible to build,” Jack complains.

“Can't you fix, like, a hundred different kinds of spaceships along with a few kinds of time travel devices?”

Jack glares back at him. “None of those things involve wood and nails.” Jack pouts.

“Well, this doesn't need to be finished today. There's almost a week before the party. Just take a break and start back on it tomorrow. Or maybe I can help you with it. Remember, back at the Hub I fixed almost everything. I'm sure I could be of use in building a princess playhouse.” Ianto reaches out a hand and helps Jack stand up. “Go inside and clean up your wound while I put away the tools and loose boards in case it rains.”

“It's already healed,” Jack says. “I guess it wasn't really all that bad.”

Jack holds out his hand, and Ianto sees that the wound looks about a week old now. “Well then, you can help me clean up, and then I think the princess in question will probably be ready to get up from her nap.”

Soon, they are both in the kitchen, where Ianto is fixing them coffee, and Jack is playing with Carys. “Who's the birthday girl!” Jack is cooing at Carys. It's coming up on her first birthday, and Ianto is anxious. He's not anxious about the birthday party that they've planned for her, but because that means that their official leave is over. They gave themselves a very generous year off for both of them at reduced pay. Occasionally, Jack would go in to help when the others would swear they couldn't get along without him, which was probably true. Jack's knowledge of aliens and technology just couldn't be replicated. Ianto wasn't usually requested. He figures that his abilities are more easily replaced.

However, Ianto wants to go back to work. He really loved having time to stay at home with his new family, but he misses work. He misses feeling like he's doing something important and meaningful. He misses all of it. Jack doesn't seem to. He seems to want nothing more than to spend all day playing with his baby. Ianto feels miserable about it all. How does he say that he wants to go back to work instead of staying at home when he's not even really needed at work? And this past year has shown how Jack is needed at work, so he probably will be wanting to go back as well. Jack will be expecting him to stay at home, and that makes the most sense. So Ianto feels terrible for wanting to leave his idyllic home, out of the city, in order to go risk his life in Cardiff every day just to feel important. He decides not to say anything and just let Jack believe he wants to stay at home.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Jack says.

Ianto startles out of his reveries. “Just thinking about the party.”

“You look awfully serious to be thinking about a one year old's birthday party,” Jack says, clearly calling him out.

“I, uh, I was just thinking about Torchwood, and how our leave is ending. We'll have to officially quit soon, or...or go back.”

“Oh, yeah, I guess. I hadn't really thought about it,” Jack says, settling Carys on his lap.

“Do you want to go back, be the leader of Torchwood again?” Ianto asks, trying to sound lighthearted. Jack doesn't answer at first, looking contemplatively at Carys. “I guess I never really thought of you as not being the leader of Torchwood. You still go out on important calls and make the big decisions. I don't know what Gwen would do without you just a phone call away.”

“Probably she'd finally figure out that she doesn't need me,” Jack says quietly.

“Of course she needs you, they all do!” Ianto says a little too forcefully.

“No, they really don't,” Jack replies, halfheartedly, while playing with his daughter's hands. “They only think they do.”

“But Torchwood wouldn't be what it is today without you,” Ianto retorts. “You made it into something to be proud of. Something He would be proud of.”

“Yeah,” Jack agrees, “And I think I'm finished with doing that.”

“What do you mean?” Ianto says, almost is a panic.

“I've done everything I can to make Torchwood something I can be proud of, and now, it works just fine without me. I think that means I succeeded, and it's okay for me to be done. Sure they can call me when they need my future knowledge or someone who can't permanently die, but otherwise, the final step might just be to cut the cord and let them do for themselves. And I think I'd like to do that. I think I'd like to retire from Torchwood.” Jack looks a little surprised with himself.

Ianto is having a hard time finding words to say. He tries, sputtering a little, and then settles on, “Retire? You? I never thought you'd decide to settle down and stop being an action hero?”

“Disappointed?” Jack asks with no small part of chagrin.

“No, just surprised.”

“Really? Because I've spent the last year pretty settled with you, or hadn't you noticed.”

“Yeah, but I guess I just thought this was like a vacation from your life. Your real life that has adventure, and daring do, and damsels in distress.”

“You're getting very alliterative,” puzzles Jack.

“Yeah, but don't you miss it?” It comes out more as a plea than a question.

“I thought I would, but I really don't. Maybe raising a family is just the next adventure. I know some of her nappies have been very adventurous.”

Ianto is starting to look like a fish gasping for air.

“Ianto, I never really got a chance to raise a child like this. The other children I've had, the mothers always took them away soon after they were born once we had a fight or they found out one of my secrets. I wasn't in a stable relationship with any of them. This is a new adventure for me, and I've found that I like it.” Jack frowns looking at Ianto's downcast face. “But you don't do you? You want to go back to work, and that's what this is really about.”

Ianto stares at the floor, not confirming or denying anything, which tells Jack that he's right.

“Ianto, please look at me,” Jack reaches his hand across the counter island, still gripping Carys in his lap with his other hand. Ianto looks up and takes the offered hand. “It's okay if you want to go back to work. There's nothing wrong with that.”

“Of course there is,” he says wiping an escaping tear off his face. “It's selfish, and I should be ashamed to want to leave my baby and my loving partner just to make myself feel special.”

“That's not what this is,” Jack says, gripping his hand tighter. “Wanting to make a difference in the world is not selfish or shameful. Just because it's not what I want doesn't mean I'm going to be upset that it's what you want. For one thing, we are in very different places in our lives. I've lived that life you described for over a hundred years! And I loved every minute of it, even when I died the first time and thought that was it forever, to me it was absolutely worth it. I'm not going to judge you for still wanting those things. Maybe it just takes a hundred years for someone like me to grow up properly, but that means that I can support you while you go off and be the dashing hero.”

“But what about the danger. It's not just any job. It's stupid of me to risk my life when two people would be heartbroken if I died.”

“I'm not going to pretend that that doesn't strike me with fear. But I used to do that sort of thing all the time when I was mortal. Again, I'm not going to stop you from being the person you are.”

Ianto chews on his lip and contemplates all this. “They do have quite a few new members, and a whole trained response team. I guess they don't really need me to risk my life. Maybe I can just do the admin and archiving. They never did get anybody to properly replace me in those things. Then I wouldn't be so scared of leaving you two.”

“Okay, but Ianto, you don't have to because of me. I want you to do what you feel like you need to do.”

“I know, at least, now I know,” Ianto smiles.

“When the others come for the birthday party, we'll ask them if I can retire and you can come back to work. And then we can see what they say about that. Maybe they have other ideas of what they want you to do.”

“Okay.” Ianto goes around the island so he can hug his partner and baby. “I love you, you know that, right?”

“Of course, you talk in your sleep.”

Ianto laughs. “I do not. I say it every night on purpose.”


	8. Ianto's priorities have changed

“Taddy! You're home!” Ianto was tackled by a five year old girl. “School was so cool!”

“I want to hear all about it,” Ianto says happily, picking Carys up.

“Hey, there,” Jack says, coming in the front room from the kitchen. “How was Torchwood today?”

Ianto sighs. “I could use a drink, honestly.”

“I'll bring you one, just get comfortable, and Carys is dying to tell you all about school today.”

After a half hour, Ianto has heard all about the great crayons at school and seen the pictures brought home. He's a little buzzed from the scotch that Jack brought him, and he's enjoying a pleasant foot rub from Jack himself. A little smile crosses his lips and his eyes start to close. Lately, this has been the best part of his day. He even opted out of going on the Weevil hunt and didn't even bother to stay around to help out when they get back. He left them with no coffee or biscuits or any help at all, because he desperately wanted to be home and hear about his daughter's first day of school. He knows what this means, and he knows that he should face facts and talk to Jack about it.

Ianto insists on putting Carys to bed himself. It's only 8:30pm when he gets back in the lounge where Jack is reading a Torchwood file and having a drink of his own.

“She go down alright?” Jack asks, putting the file aside.

“Yeah. I read her an extra chapter in The Hobbit, but that was more for me than her.” Ianto takes a seat next to Jack and nods towards the file folder. “Are you looking into that weird tech for Tosh?”

“Yeah,” Jack says, but leaves the file closed on the table. “It looks 42nd century to me. I think it's the power source that's the problem. It's probably run down, and you can't find it in the battery section at the supermarket, at least not until the 42nd century, anyway. She might be able to rig something up for it in the basement, though.”

“Jack?” Ianto begins, but just chews on his lip instead of continuing.

“What's on your mind?”

“Do you want to go back to work full time?”

Jack straightens up. “What brings this on?”

“I'm just wondering if you miss it. If you want to go back, I could stay at home for a while.”

“I wouldn't be honest if I didn't say that sometimes I miss it, but not enough to go back. Not full time anyway. I like the consulting work fine enough. Are you worried that I resent you going to work while I stay home, because that is not even close.” Jack pulls Ianto close to him. “I love my little family life.”

“Oh, okay,” Ianto says and looks down, fiddling with the buttons on Jack's shirt.

“You don't look relieved. Do you not believe me?” Jack says as he lifts Ianto's chin to make him look at him.

“I do,” says Ianto, still trying to avert his eyes. “I just, I don't know.”

“What? What is it, Ianto?”

Ianto takes Jack's hands and looks at him. “I don't want to work anymore. Or, I guess I really mean, I want to stay home. I've missed so much in Carys' life! I wanted to pick her up from her first day of school. And I missed her first steps and her first word and even when she first scooted around backwards on her backside.”

Jack laughs at the memory. “Shh, it's okay. You don't have to work. We don't need an income with the money I've got saved. You can just stay home with me.”

“You won't mind?”

“Of course not,” Jack says, giving Ianto a huge smile. “We can fuck all day while Carys is at school, like the old days in the archives.”

“Actually, I was thinking along the same lines, but with a particular ending.”

“Hopefully, I always give you the best endings,” Jack says, leering.

“Yes,” Ianto says, blushing still after all these years. “But what I meant was, I want a second child.”

“Oh!”

“And I want to stay home this time and watch this one grow up.”

“Ianto, having a second kid won't bring back the lost times with Carys.”

“I know that. I just want a second chance to see it all, and I want Carys to have a sibling. Maybe a little brother.”

“A little brother?”

“Yeah.”

“One like you were?”

Ianto smiles. “Maybe, but hopefully Carys will be a less bossy big sister.”

“You'll teach her how,” Jack says.

“Does that mean that you'll do it? That you'll have another baby with me?”

“Yes, we can try anyway. I think maybe you just want to go bareback again,” Jack says teasingly.

“It's a bonus,” Ianto teases back.

“We can start right now. Carys is fast asleep by now.” Jack kisses Ianto and presses him back along the sofa.

Ianto grabs the hair on the back of Jack's head and pulls him back, saying, “Take your pants off.”

“Yes, sir!” Jack enthusiastically sheds his trousers and pants, tossing them over his shoulder, before lying back down on top of Ianto. Ianto laughs. “What are you laughing at?”

“You look ridiculous with your shirt and socks still on,” Ianto says.

“I think it's fantastically dirty. And you're going to keep all your clothes on. I'm just going to take your cock out,” Jack unzips Ianto's flies as he says this and reaches his hand inside. “And I'm going to ride you like a stallion.” Jack strokes Ianto to hardness.

“We need the lube,” Ianto gasps out.

“Stay how you are,” Jack says as he jumps off Ianto and ran up the stairs to the bedroom. Very quickly, he's jogging back down the stairs, his hard cock bouncing around absurdly. Ianto laughs. “Get ready for me!” Jack says as he jumps back up straddling Ianto and he quickly coats his fingers in the lube and sticks them inside himself. He groans and writhes as he fingers himself. Ianto stops laughing and groans as Jack rubs against him.

It's not long before Jack impales himself on Ianto and rides him as promised. Ianto grasps Jack's hips and thrusts up into him. Jack groans loudly. “Shh, Jack, you're going to wake Carys.”

Jack actually does quiet down. This is something the two of them started doing after having Carys. Being quieter doesn't lessen their passion or the frenetic quality of their love making. Jack leans down to kiss Ianto, and Ianto pulls on Jack's cock in time to his thrusts. They both come simultaneously, Ianto reveling in the feeling of coming inside Jack, his come coating his insides. Jack collapses on top of Ianto and tries to catch his breath. “I hope it didn't work,” Jack says.

Ianto panics. “What? Why? I thought you wanted this?”

“Yes,” Jack says, “I just mean that I want to keep having unprotected sex with you for as long as possible. I like feeling your come in me.”

“Oh,” Ianto says, relaxing back down on the sofa. “Me, too.”

“I love you,” Jack says, resting his head on Ianto's chest.

“I love you, too,” Ianto says.


End file.
